As Texas and Mississippi join a dozen other U.S. states with no mask requirements across the state, many major retailers and entrepreneurs are unprepared to meet coverage requirements. in the midst of a pandemic which killed more than 1,800 Americans on Tuesday alone.
The rulers of both states said they dispensed with mask mandates and allowing companies to operate at full capacity.
“We now need to do more to restore the livelihoods and normalcy of Texans by opening Texas to 100%,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “We make sure all Texas businesses and families have the freedom to determine their own destiny.”
In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves also lifts mask mandates for all counties, saying his office “is going out of business to tell people what it can and can’t do.”
Despite the push to reopen, Texas and Mississippi residents will still have to wear masks if they want to get into many supermarkets and other large retail chains. Retailers, including Kroger, Target and Walgreens, cited guidelines from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue requiring masks and take other measures to protect workers and consumers from the virus.
“At this time there are no changes to the company’s mask warrants policy or current security protocols in our stores or any workplace to protect our customers and members of the We follow current CDC and OSHA guidelines on safety protocols, “a Walgreens spokesman said in an email.
The pharmacy chain’s policy has been to “gently remind customers who buy without masks the requirement, but out of concern for the safety of our employees, we do not prevent these customers from making purchases,” a spokesman added.
Another major pharmacy, CVS Health, will also maintain its face coverage policy in stores across the country, with a CVS Health spokesman citing “strong scientific evidence that masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19.” .
“If a client does not wear a mask or face mask, we will refer them to our signage and ask them to help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and answering the call to wear a face mask,” added the spokesman. . “For security reasons, our employees are committed to avoiding intense confrontations with customers who do not meet the requirements and helping them complete their purchases as quickly as possible.”
Kroger, the country’s largest supermarket chain, “will continue to require everyone in our stores across the country to wear masks until all of our top grocery partners can receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” said one spokesman for CBS MoneyWatch by email. Last month, the company said it would give each of its 500,000 workers in 35 states $ 100 to get vaccinated against COVID.
Target also meets its requirement that customers and workers wear masks, including coronavirus vaccinations, “in accordance with current CDC guidelines,” a retail spokesman said in an email. The retailer makes an exception for those with underlying medical conditions and young children.
Customers who prefer not to wear masks can shop through Target’s contactless options, such as shopping online, the retailer added.
Aldi said he will continue with his national policy of requiring his workers and customers to wear masks at his more than 2,000 grocery stores in 36 states.
“We are aware of mandatory mask lifts in both Texas and Mississippi, where we have store locations. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been following CDC guidelines and have no plans to make any adjustments to our measures. security this time, ”an Aldi spokesman said in an email.
A Home Depot spokesman said the retailer “requires associates and customers to wear masks in our stores or at any Home Depot facility across the country. We will continue to follow CDC guidelines, as we have done throughout the time “.
Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Whole Foods did not respond to requests for comment.
The National Retail Federation issued a statement reiterating that retail stores are private entities that may refuse entry or service to those who refuse to comply with its policies. In addition, “it is within its right to implement and enforce policies that protect the health and safety of its employees and its customers,” a business group spokesman said in a statement.
HEB, based in San Antonio, Texas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the grocery chain, which employs more than 135,000 people in more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, seemed to take a softer stance when talking to a local media outlet.
“While there is no longer a statewide order of masks, HEB believes it is important that masks be worn in public spaces until more jeans and our partners have access to the Covid-19 vaccine,” he said. a HEB spokesman at a Fox News subsidiary. “HEB will still require all of our partners and suppliers to wear masks while they work and we urge all customers to wear a mask to our stores.”